Viral ‘Death Star’ Petition To Spark White House Response

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By: VIBE/ December 14, 2012

Over 25,000 Internet folk are hitting up Reddit, Twitter and 4Chan petitioning for the federal government to build a Death Star by 2016.

For the Star Wars illiterate, the Death Star is a planet-blasting superweapon. While the project may be costly (see price below), those on the campaign trail believe it will open up a platform for more jobs and economic opportunities. A representative from the White House is expected to issue a response on whether the Obama administration will green light the massive idea.

An online petition on a White House website to secure resources and funding to build a Star Wars-like “Death Star” by 2016 has gathered 26,447 signatures and will spark a response from the Obama administration.

The government website We the People was created to allow people to petition the U.S. federal government to take action on a range of issues.

The authors of the petition began their quest on Nov. 14 and passed the goal of 25,000 signatures on Thursday. Any petition that surpasses the 25,000 mark will be reviewed by the White House staff and will receive an official response.
“We the People helps the White House understand the views of the American people and have a focused and civil conversation with them,” explains the White House website.

The authors of the petition rationalized the strange request for a Death Star — a doomsday weapon capable of destroying planets, which featured in the film Star Wars — by stating that the benefits of such a craft would boost job numbers and aid in national defence.

“By focusing our defence resources into a space-superiority platform and weapon system such as a Death Star, the government can spur job creation in the fields of construction, engineering, space exploration, and more, and strengthen our national defence,” said the petition.

Each petition must cross two critical thresholds in order to be effective. First, it must meet a minimum number of signatures for it to be publicly listed and searchable, and second it must meet the 25,000-signature mark within a month in order to garner a White House response.

“From time to time President Obama may respond directly to petitions, but we expect most of responses to come from other administration officials,” says the website.